Thill-coupling



(No Model.)

F. P. KENISTON.

THILL COUPLING.

Patented Mar. 1, 1887.

WWW meow lTNITEI) STATES PATENT @rricis.

FRANK P. KENISTON, OF ST. JOHNSBURY, VERMONT.

THlLL-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 358,780, dated March 1,1887.

Application filed December 17, 1886. Serial No. 522L882.

(No model.)

To all whmn it may concern.-

[through these bolt-holes, as will be under- Be it known that I, FRANK P. KENISTON, a stood.

citizen of the United States, residing at St. Johnsbury, in the county of Caledonia and State of Vermont, have invented new and useful Improvements in Thill-Oouplings, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in thill-couplings, and aims to provide a device which shall be free from all rattling and liability to uncouple, and which will consist of a few parts of simple construction and easy of operation.

The novelty consists in certain features of the device shown in the accompanying drawings, as will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the said drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved thill-coupling. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same. Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing the several parts imposition for uncoupling and taken from the side opposite to that shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the coupling-spring, and Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of the retaining-washer.

Referring to the drawings by letter, A designates the axle of the usual construction. B is a clip, which fits over and upon the axle and has depending from it below the axle three bolts, b b b, which form an integral part'of the clip, as shown. A washer, O, is fitted over these bolts and up flush against the under side or bottom of the axle, and the clip is securedto the axle by means of nuts D, which turn upon the bolts 1), up against the washer, thereby forming a solid fastening, as will be readily understood. The bolts 1) are arranged one in rear and two in fro11t of the axle, and the one in rear of the axle is set a little to one side of the center, as shown in Fig. 4, and the nut D thereon is cut away on the side next the central line, so as to form the shoulder (Z, the function of which will presently appear. The washer O is approximately U shaped, and the ends of the legs 0 are bent in a semicircular line, as shown in Figs. 6 and 3, to fit up around and protect the under side of the coupling-spring. The washer is also provided with bolt-holes in the legs near the end thereof and in the bend or an extension, as 0, of the bend. The bolts 1), above referred to, pass therein. bottom E, and are provided with openings or Projecting from the front of the clip B, and forming an integral part of the same, is the coupling-box E. This box E is open at the top and is closed at the bottom and on the front and sides. The sides are provided with curved SlOlS e, which are formed in the arc of a circle whose center is the coil of the coupling-spring placed in the angle formed by the bottom of the coupling-box and the front of the clip B. Depending from the bottom of the box E is a hook, e, which is engaged by a projecting portion ofthe couplingspring when the thills are being uucou pled, as will be more fully referred to hereinafter. Upon the inside the bottom and front wall of the box are made circular, as shown, so as to permit the thill to be easily turned or swung in a vertical plane for the purpose of uncoupling and to form a bed and support for the thill-hook when coupled.

F is the coupling pin or rod inserted through the slots 6, and of a diameter slightly less than the width of the slots, so as to move easily Its ends extend past the sides of the perforations, through which pass the ends 9 of the coupling-spri ug G. This coupling-spring G consists of a coiled spring, coiled around a rod or bolt, 9', and having its center portion, 9", passed diametrically through the pin, rod, or bolt and extended a suitable distance to rest upon the shoulder d of the nut D when the thill is coupled, as shown in Fig. l. The ends of the spring are extended upward and passed through the ends of the coupling-pin, as before stated.

H is the thill-iron, provided with the hook 71., as shown. This hook h engages the coupling-pin F, and its outer under face is given a circular shape corresponding to the inner surface of the box D. This construction, it will be seen at once, enables the thill-iron to lie close and snug against the bottom of the box when the thills are coupled to the axle.

In Figs. 1 and 2 I have shown the several parts as they appear normally, or when the thills are coupled to the axle. When in this position, the thill-iron rests flush upon and against the bottom of the box D. The coupling-pin passes through the hook h, and the normal position of the hook being with its sides vertical, or nearly so, it will be securely fastened and held in the box. The middle ex tended portion of the coupling-spring being held by the shoulder 01 of the nut D, the said spring exerts a pressure on the coupling-pin, which tends to hold it in the forward end of the slots e, and consequently holds the thilliron hook firmly against the bottom of the box and prevents rattling. All efforts to move the thill-iron hook horizontally will be resisted by the front and rear sides of the box, and efforts to move it vertically will be resisted by the bottom of the box and the coupling-pin.

When it is desired to uncouple the thills, the extended portion of the coupling-spring is disengaged from the nut D and caught upon the hook e, as shown in Fig. 3. This causes the spring to exert a pressure upon the coupling-pin directly the reverse of that formerly exerted upon it and forcing it toward the other end of the slots. The pin, however, will still be held in the forward end of the slots by the thilliron hook, which is now rotated upon the pin by raising the thills. As the hook rotates, the open portion or mouth thereof will be brought around toward the rear of the box, and as soon as the mouth of the hook is brought in line with the slots the coupling-pin will fly toward the rear ends of the slots, out of engagement with the thill-iron hook, which may then be readily lifted out.

To couple the thills, the converse operation to that just described is performed. Should the parts become worn by use, and consequently rattle, the forward end of the curved slots are filed away slightly, which will allow the coupling-pin to press fartherforward and hold the hook against the bottom of the box.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s

1. In a thill-coupling, the combination of the box secured to the axle, the thill-iron supported by the .box, a coupling-pin inserted through the box and engaging the thill-iron, and a reversible spring controlling the movement of the coupling pin, substantially as set forth.

2. In a thill-coupling, the combination of the box secured to the axle, the thill-iron supported byv and within thebox, a coupling-pin engagingthe thill-iron and movablelongitudistantially as set forth.

nally in the box in the arc of a circle, and a reversible spring actuating the coupling-pin and secured below the box, substantially as set forth.

3. In athill-coupling, the combination, with the box secured to the axle and having a hook depending from its front lower edge, of the thill-iron supported by and within the box, the coupling-pin inserted through the box and engaging the thill-iron, and a spring arranged below the box and having an extension which is normally held under the axle and is made to engage the depending hook of the box in order to reverse the direction of the pressure exerted by the spring, substantially as specified.

, 4. In a thill-coupling, the combination of the axle-clip, the box projected from the front of the axle-clip, the thill-iron supported within and by the box, the pin passing through the box and engaging the thill-iron hook, and a spring held in the angle between the bottom of the box and the front of the clip, and having its ends secured to the coupling-pin, sub- 5. The combination of the axle, the axleclip, the box projected from the clip, the thill iron supported within and by the box, a coupling-pin passing through the box and engaging the thill-iron, the coupling-spring having its end secured to the coupling-pin, and the retaining-washer having its ends bent around the coupling-spring, substantially as specified.

6. The combination of the axle-clip having depending bolts, the coupling-box projected from the axle-clip, the thill-iron held within the coupling-box, the coupling-pin passing through the box and engaging the thill-iron, and the couplingspring held below the box and having its ends extended and attached to the coupling-pin, and having its middle portion extended and engaged by one of the clipsecuring nuts when the thills are coupled to the axle, and by a hook on the under side of the coupling-boxwhen thethills are uncoupled from the axle, substantially as specified.

In testimonythatl claim the foregoingas my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK P. KENISTON.

Witnesses:

GEORGE H. KENIsToN, FRANK PERRIGO. 

